Brothers, Lovers and Zoids
by Woman of the Dunedain
Summary: *Dead* Stoller's investigating an S-Class team for being involved with Charlemagne, and they find her closer to him, and more dangerous, then they could have anticipated.
1. Leon's Mistake...Brad and Naomi

* * *

A/N: This story is dedicated to my very good friend Shannon! ^_^ God bless, girlie! 

* * *

Brad Hunter stood up and sighed tiredly. He hated taking the graveyard shift, sitting alone in the command room of the hovercargo with nothing but his coffee cup and the twin glow of Zi's two moons to keep him company. Refilling his mug, he sat back down, propping his feet on the console. Atleast they'd be back home in a few days, four days of vacation time that he fully intended to enjoy to the fullest.

"Brad!" exclaimed Leon, appearing suddenly in the doorway, startling his old team mate. He'd expected to find his father at the controls, not the ex-mercenary who didn't do favors.

"Hey, Leon. When did you get here?" The sandy-haired warrior asked, holding up a cup in silent question, though he did not drop his feet or show any signs of a desire to get up. Leon nodded and took a seat beside Brad at the controls. 

"I hopped on about four hours ago. Dad let me crash in his room for awhile. I was really wiped out," Leon replied. "Someone attacked me, and I need time to do repairs on the Liger." Sipping his dark decaf, the Blitz warrior just nodded. Neither of them said anything for awhile, lounging in comfortable silence. Their thoughts drifted to their own lives. 

Naomi, of course, surfaced first in Brad's mind. This both annoyed and pleased him. Why couldn't he get the gunsniper out of his head? The Fluegel Team leader was so determined, calm and, damn pretty. The incident with the Sand Sting Ray Gang rose up to the front of his mind. It had felt so good to hold Naomi in his arms like that. Oh, how good it had felt. A smile drifted across his normally impassive face, and he couldn't help but wonder if she'd come around the base if Leon was out of commission.

Leon thought of his red blade liger and Naomi as well, though not in the same delighted light that Brad Hunter did. Leon had barely been able to limp his zoid into town and it had been a stroke of pure luck that the Blitz team had been there when he'd arrived. The young Toros didn't have any clue as to who had attacked him. One moment he'd been practically falling asleep in the cockpit of his zoid, and the next thing he knew, a plasma particle beam had slammed into the zoid's leg. The cost for repairs would drain all of recent winnings and atleast half of the credits he'd saved up over the past two years. Naomi was not going to be pleased, and would probably find some way to make the attack his fault.

"Leon!" a woman's voice squealed, drawing his attention. Leena launched herself at her brother, throwing her arms around him from behind. Her sibling choked, his face turning red as he tried to draw breath. Brad sniggered, similarly interupted by the outburst. Sitting up, he typed some commands into the hover cargo, and it turned slightly to the west, stirring up more dust.

"I was certain you'd forgotten, Leon!" Leena said, releasing him to cough and gasp for breath. A genuine smile lit her face. Brad was surprised; she didn't get this excited any other time when Leon showed up. Was this why she'd been moping around the past few days?

"What did I forget?" wheezed the warrior, the mystery of his attacker pushed aside for the moment. Leena rolled her eyes and smiled, as though he was kidding with her. Leon suddenly got the feeling he was going to be in trouble.

"My birthday, of course," Leena said happily.

There was a moment of silence. Brad coughed, seeing Leon's discomfort. The smile slid off of Leena's face, but instead of the anger that Brad expected, a hurt look clouded his teammate's face, and she stood quickly, knocking over a china cup as she hurried out of the room, her fist pressed to her mouth. 

* * *

In the dim quiet of her zoid, Naomi Fluegel watch her opponents move around restlessly, searching for her. A grin crossed her face. The seat in the gunsniper folded back until it was straight, then flipped over. Taking the framiliar controls in her hands, Naomi scanned the skies for the air borne zoid she'd noticed. There it was, still circling above it's transporter, instead of out looking for her as it should have been. This would make it alot easier. Her aim presise, the gunsniper fired, easily taking down her only threat. The ptera striker crashed to the ground with a grinding crunch of metal.

A yellow sabretiger roared, pacing with more pronounced agitation. She could imagine how they were cursing in their cockpits, unable to fight an enemy they could not see. Taking aim again, Naomi brought the hellcat, the team's best zoid, into her targeter. She wanted the sabretiger, who appeared to be the leader, to go down last. Pressing her thumbs, she fired. The hellcat took the missiles in it's hind leg, crippling it instantly. Managing to stay up only a few moments, the zoid fell heavily onto it's side. Now the sabretiger was obviously enraged. Having a general idea of what direction she was in, the pilot urged his zoid forward at a dead, weaving run. 

Naomi laughed quietly to herself. These amatuers had so much to learn about zoid battles. She considered it her duty to show them just how tough it really was to be a warrior. Once more, for the last time during this battle, Naomi Fluegel aimed her weapon, took in the zig-zagging pattern, and let the missile fly. The sabretiger didn't know what hit him. His machine took a shuddering blow to the midsection, parts flying off as a command system freeze blink on his screen.

Brad walked down the street, his hands tucked into his back pockets. His attention was elsewhere as he mentally reviewed what parts he'd gotten and what he needed to pick up. The young warrior wondered suddenly if there was a coffee shop around; he could use a cup. All night he'd been awake, listening to Leena cry across the hall.

"Well, hey Brad," the husky voice halted him in his tracks. Was he hearing her voice now, as well as day dreaming incessantly? Turning, the Blitz Team warrior spotted Naomi walking towards him. The only thing he could think was how pretty she was. She wore her long traditionally red jacket, looking cool and composed despite the sweltering heat. He was suddenly consious of the warmth, feeling as uneasy as a teenager. 

"Hi, Naomi," Brad greeted, relieved that he sounded normal despite the way his heart had started to pound when he'd seen her. He knew that he was staring like an idiot, and she must be wondering what had gotten to him. Brad struggled to come up with something ordinary to say. This was difficult, because his mind wasn't working right, and his tounge was tied in knots. Why did she have to be so perfect?

"Great win the other day," Naomi said in her quiet, beautiful voice. Pleased beyond reason, Brad felt a blush creeping up his neck. He smiled at her in a worshiping sort of way. The Fluegel Team leader did not seem to notice. She just reached up with her hand to brush back a strand of red hair that had fallen across her eyes.

"Thanks. You...wanna get something to eat?" he asked, gesturing to the bar across the street. It was one of his favorites. Her answering smile took his breath away. They crossed together, Brad's hand brushing hers but not daring to hold it. Once they were inside the cooler, dimly lighted bar, Brad found he could relax, and they talked about annoying new comers, idolized S-Class warriors, and laughed together. 

* * *

"You should have seen Bit," gasped Brad, trying to contain his laughter long enough to tell the story. Naomi was laughing so hard that she had to cover her mouth. Tears ran down her face. "He was stuck outside, in the rain, wearing nothing. I mean nothing."

"What was he doing?" Naomi choked, trying to block out the image she was getting of Bit Cloud naked.

"Leena came into the bathroom holding a kitchen knife. She didn't know he was in there," Brad bent his head, shoulders shaking as he continued. "He was in the bath tub. Bit thought that Leena had gone pyscho, and flew out of there faster then I've ever seen him move."

Naomi ordered another basket of french fries and told Brad about her younger brother slipping a frog into their nearly-blind grandmother's soup. This time Brad was reduced to tears as well. When they went their seperate ways, neither could explain why they felt like they were leaving behind something they never wanted to loose. 


	2. Homecomings and Truce

The motorcycle purred beautifully. The woman smiled, and turned the key. It quieted instantly, and she rolled forward and kicked down the stand. The warriors surround the veiwing screen payed no attention to the familiar sound of a motorcycle. It wasn't something they didn't see everyday. She knew this town intimately, and was surprised when no one greeted her when she removed her helmet. A dry desert breeze tossed her hair around her head. The sun beat down on the blacktop, making it appear hazy.

"Hey, Chaze, what's everybody looking at?" she asked, unable to see the veiw screen from where she stood. The mechanic who'd been lounging on a bench, looking ready to fall asleep, jerked and glanced at her in surprise. Smiling at him, the woman rolled her neck tiredly, removing the sunglasses that had protected her eyes on the long ride to her home town.

"Well, if it ain't Pierce!" he exclaimed, looking her up and down in appreciation. The ex-Backdraft group warrior smiled, returning the examination. He was an ex-boyfriend from high school, and time had not shaken his good looks. Chaze waved to the zoid club across the street. "It's a battle between the Blitz team and the Cross team."

"And your not watching?" Pierce questioned, knowing how much he loved zoid battles. They had played together as children in kids' zoids, and he was as good with close-combat land zoids as she was with air-borne ones. Grinning, the man tapped the radio hooked to his faded blue jeans. A wire ran up to his ear. She tried not to notice how tight his white, grease smudged t-shirt was, or how well-defined his chest was. "I'm listening."

Rolling her sea green eyes, the air-borne specialist bid him a farewell, her mind churning with thoughts of the Blitz team and the Zoid commission. A sparkle of satisfaction brightened her beautiful eyes, though no expression marred her face. After all, wasn't she one of the pilot to be found anywhere? 

* * *

Leon's attacker crouched down in the darkness, dark eyes fixed on the shot glass resting on the table. Long fingers swirled the amber liquid contemplatingly. The red blade liger would be out of commission for a while, the particle gun had seen to that. The spinosappa's traditional saw had been replaced with the powerful weapon, a specially modified, lighter model then you could not pick up anywhere. The armoured zoid was now perfect for both long and close range combat. It would prove useful in the days to come. Two more warriors were needed to make the team complete. An air-borne zoid and a land zoid with great manuverability. Two warriors came immediately to mind. Satisfied, the warrior stood, dropped his money onto the scratched table, and walked away. 

* * *

"Come on, Leena, pay attention!" barked Brad as his shadow fox knocked the modified gun sniper out of the line of fire, is manuverability saving it from taking a beating. "What's with you today? Get over yourself and start thinking about the team!"

Leena's reply was uncharacteristicly rude. Bit's face popped up on her screen across from Brad.

"Brad's right, Leena. Sulk later. Help us take these guys out."

Back on the hover cargo, Leon watched the battle silently, absorbing the words that passed between his sister and the other Blitz warriors. In all honesty, he had not realized that his presence had meant all that much to Leena. Admittedly, Leon had paid her little attention when she was younger, but what brother spent that much time with his little sister?

"Fine," the young Toros woman said in a soft voice. "You want my help? Total Assault!" With a yell, Leena, released an assault unlike anything they had ever seen. She was well known for being trigger-happy, but this was beyond that. How could her zoid even carry that much ammo? The lightning sykes and the hellcat each took several blows. Shuddering, metal screeched against metal as the great machines fell over onto their sides, out of the battle. 

"The battle is over.The battle is over. The winner is, the Blitz team!" intoned the judge, but there was no cheering from Bit, or satisfied grin from Brad. Leena did not leap up and proclaim she was the greatest. Without any show at all, the winning team returned to their transport.

The doctor raised his eyebrows, watching the screen with Jaime and his son over the tips of his fingers. He'd never seen his daughter have mood swings quite like this before. But then, he had not notice how far apart his two children were drifting. Now, he was forced to wonder if the could bridge that gap. Leon was a brilliant zoid pilot, and Leena had great skill in the cockpit of her gunsniper, even if she didn't often show it. Zoids were a great part of his life, too, even if he did not pilot anymore. They all seemed to forget that family came before machines, game points and prize money. 

* * *

Leon crouched down on his haunches, observing the damage through his dark welding visor. Even with his father's help, there was still a lot to be done to his red blade liger. It's hind leg had very nearly become disconnected, and bits of metal had imbedded themselves into the armor like shrapnel, damaging electrical equipment. He wondered briefly if the liger's maneuverability would ever be restored one hundred percent. One of the blades had become jammed and he couldn't for the life of him get it to extend.

"How are the repairs coming?" Leena asked almost absently, startling her brother. Leon dropped back on his butt, landing in a puddle of oil. Annoyance twisted his face, but he didn't really mind. Leon was used to being dirty. He'd spent most of his life here, in the hanger, repairing zoids and tinkering with parts. Long before they'd created the Blitz team, the Toros family had repaired and sold zoids.

Pushing back his visor, he looked up at his sister, expecting at the least a wounded expression. But he was surprised; Leena looked neither angry nor hurt. Her expressive face now looked...almost wistful. He was immediately suspicious. She rarely dropped things without dragging them out to a point far beyond annoyance and near to violence.

"I love that smell," she whispered, hugging herself, and closing her violet eyes against Leon's probing gaze. If he asked, she did not think that he could explain why she was no longer angry, or hurt. She drew a deep breath, and a smile curled her lips. Leon sniffed the air, and recognized the scent of grease and metal. Most people wouldn't appreciate the musty smell, but to them it symbolized home. Leon too found himself grinning.

"Yeah, it's a familiar one all right," he reflected. "We've spent a lot of time here, haven't we?"

"For sure," she agreed. A small laugh slipped past her lips, and the look in her eye indicated she was remembering something. "Do you remember the time Dad spent nearly a month planning that surprise for us?"

Leon laughed. "Oh, yes! Doc thought we would be so surprised with the new zoid, but we found the order form under his desk two weeks before he told us?"

Leena made a face. "That sloth crawler was one of the ugliest things I've ever seen," she rolled her eyes, remembering the rust red and brown old zoid that was no longer made, good for little more then as a sniper, and not very effective at that either.

Feeling more and more comfortable as the tension between them melted, Leon brought up on of his own fond memories. "Mom loved this place, too, you know. A lot of the time, she would make Dad man the counter so that she could come in here and play with the machines."

The wistful look on Leena's face became more pronounced. "Tell me more about her, Leon. Please."

"She was the greatest woman in the world," whispered the older sibling reverently, his mother's face instant swimming up in his mind. He'd never forgotten what she'd looked like, or how she'd sounded. Leena could not remember Sammy Toros; she'd died when her baby daughter was only four months old. It hurt him almost as much as her death had, knowing that his sister could never feel that love like he had. And he'd been only six when Sammy had died. "And very beautiful. Your hair is red, like hers. She had the same violet eyes, too. It's haunting the way you look like Mom, Leena."

There were conflicting emotions swirling in Leena's soul. Sadness that she would never know her mother in this life. Anger that she'd been taken away. Happiness to know that she looked like her mother. Thankfulness that she still had her brother and father. It made her slightly dizzy. Crossing her ankles, Leena lowered herself down and sat beside her brother as he told her all about their mother. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and Leon stroked her hair with one hand as he spoke. 

* * *

Jack Sisqo rolled over restlessly, his dreams troubled by old memories. The blanket slid down to his waist, showing firmly muscled arms and a well- sculpted chest. Mercenary bands were tattoo on his biceps. Sweat broke out on his skin, and a frown marred his brow. He tossed again, and moaned softly.

Kelly and Kris Tasker had gone out, and there was no one else at the Lightning team's home base. No one saw the lithe figure slip over the wall, clearly illuminated by Zi's two moons. It went unnoticed when the tall form jimmied the locked and made their way in without any resistance. And only Jack was awakened when a gloved hand closed over his mouth, holding a sweet- smelling cloth. He passed out before he could put up any resistance.

In plain view, the famous mercenary Jack Sisqo was kidnapped, carried away to a silent spinosappa and far from his home. 


	3. Help From A New Corner

When Bit Cloud opened the door, he was expecting the pizza delivery guy. Not the Tasker sisters, huddled under one measly poncho, soaking wet and looking as miserable as a pair ever could. The warrior stood there in the doorway for several moments, staring at the sisters in confusion. It was a rainy, lazy Saturday, and not even Jaime felt like cooking anything. So after much fighting over toppings, Brad had called in a pizza. When the doorbell rang, Bit had been elected to go and get the food.

"What's taking so--" Brad sighed as he walked out to check on Bit and make sure he wasn't devouring the food right there in the hall. As soon as he caught sight of Kelly and Kris, he stopped short, staring much like his fellow Blitz team warrior had. He recovered much sooner then the sleep- deprived Bit (who'd spent the night locked in Liger's cockpit, unable to leave due to a screaming Leena brandishing a chain, yelling that she wanted her doughnuts back), and hurried over to shove him out of the way.

Standing up inside, shaking off the old poncho, it was easy to see that Kris had been crying. Kelly's eyes were suspiciously moist as well, but not as red and swollen as her sister's.

"What happened?" Brad asked in concern, leading them into the main room, where Doc Toros, Leena and Jaime immediately stopped chanting and pounding on the table for their meal. Leon sat up a little straighter but showed no further reaction.

"Jack, he's gone!" Kris burst out. Kelly whispered something in her ear, and the warrior sat down, knuckling her eyes and taking deep breaths to calm herself. Kelly faced the Blitz team.

"When we got back to base last night, Jack was missing, and so was his zoid," she informed them, straight forwarldly. "And we think that something has happened to him." Leena and Jaime exchanged a dubious look, but it was the young Toros woman who spoke up first.

"What makes you so sure that Jack didn't leave on his own?" Kelly's features turned stony, and Jaime swallowed nervously.

"He wouldn't do that!" Kris said vehemently, but without the desperation she'd shown earlier. Now there was more anger behind her words then sorrow, and Leena flinched, dropping hard back into her chair, hair pieces bobbing. The Doc, who had been sitting back and watching with interest, spoke up.

"Why did you come to us? Why not go the the Zoid Commission for help? They're obligated to search for a missing pilot if they are part of a team on the Commission," he asked, though he was fairly certain he knew the answer.

It was Brad that spoke up. "Jack Sisqo is a mercenary," he said in his calm, steady voice, one hand rubbing the tattoo around his arm. "The Commission believes that we're irresponsible, and won't look for Jack unless the Lightning team can provide concrete proof that something has happened to him."

None of them seemed willing to try and guess what that something was.

"We'll help, right Doc?" Bit Cloud asked eagerly, bouncing up right in Steve's face. It was Leon that answered. During the whole episode the younger Toros had quietly absorbed details and observed the Tasker sisters, who appeared to be genuinely anxious.

"Yes, Bit. We'll help." 

* * *

Jack groaned deep in the back of his throat. His eyes squeezed shut against the light burning behind in front of his eyelids. He rolled over, burying his face in his arms, feeling as though his mouth had been stuffed with cotton. A little demon pounded on his eyes from inside his head. If only they would just pop out already, and save him the pain. Jack felt as though he'd been drinking. But, that couldn't be right. He never let himself get drunk anymore.

He'd almost decided to go sleep off whatever it was that was making his head pound when he realized that he was not alone. His many years as a mercenary had trained him to notice things that other people would have missed. Lying still, he listened carefully. Kelly and Kris wouldn't come into his room uninvited... Deciding to brave the light, he cracked an eyelid and lifted his head to look over his arm.

Where in the hell was he? Jack opened both his eyes and stared. It wasn't the sun, as he'd thought, that was casting the light on his face. The whole bed was surrounded by some sort of wall. Grabbing his headpeice, he tossed it out. There was a loud snap, and the headpeice flew back, smoking a little where it had connected with the shield. Sighing, the mercenary flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. This was just great.

* * *

"I've told you before, Mother. I'm not part of the Backdraft group anymore," Pierce called through the door she was now leaning against. Her only reply was the soft sounds of running water and clinking dishes. The sea-green eyed woman sighed, clenching her fists in her hair, frustrated. Even that cocky Rhaynos pilot from the Blitz team couldn't aggravate her like her dear momma could.

"Please, Mother, just let me come inside and get my things!" begged Pierce again, this time lying on her stomach, talking through the crack between the door and the ground. It was one of the most humiliating things she'd ever done, but her family's home was set back from town and no one ever passed through this way. It was nothing but farms in three directions. Inside, her mother did nothing, said nothing to acknowledge her daughter.

Pierce felt as though she was talking to a brick wall. 

* * *

With a rush of cool, modulated air, the cockpit of the gunsniper rose open, and Leena jumped easily down. Her berry-red hair was lank and damp with sweat, but she ignored the heat. It was hard to escape it on Zi. Rolling her neck once on her shoulders, she slid closed the door to the garage and locked her zoid inside. A vid-map was right beside the door, and she accessed it, finding the closest Zoid Battle Commission station.

There was one just a few blocks away, so Leena started walking, her long hairpieces bobbing. A thoughtful frown formed a V between her eyes, and she debated with herself again as she walked. While she wasn't exactly happy about what she had decided to do, she had to find out if it was the Backdraft that had taken Jack. It seemed like something they would stoop to, even if she'd never heard of such a thing before.

The ZBC station looked like many others. A plain-looking building with a wall of glass, a bar and a huge veiwing screen that would show the current battle. The cold air that struck her face was shocking as Leena opened the doors. It took her breath away, but she enjoyed it. The heat was chased away, and Leena stepped with renewed determination. She only hoped the dramatic change in temperatures wouldn't give her a headache.

"Can I help you?" A sharp marine-eyed young man asked, watching her from behind the bar. Despite his formal words, it was obvious that he wasn't exactly thrilled to serve. Putting on a cheesy grin that made her inwardly grimace, she sauntered up to him. From the smile that curved a corner of his lips, Leena guessed that he knew she was acting.

"Hi!" she said sweetly, though the word came out funny because she was grinding her teeth together. His cocky-know-it-all attitude was really getting on her nerves. "I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find a friend of mine. She's a warrior. Pierce."

His grin faltered a little; the man tilted his head forward slightly so that his shoulder-length marine-green hair swung up to partially cover his face. "You from the Commission?" he asked nonchalantly, but Leena could see he was worried. A few of the near-by locals looked up, suspicious. Leena knew she'd struck a nerve, and decided to play it up to the full potential.

"No, I'm not here to turn her in as a former member of the Backdraft," she said in a low voice, and real panic lighted his blue eyes. Looking closer, she was stunned to realize that this young man was obviously related to her former opponent. Leena wondered why she had not noticed the connection earlier.

"Does your sister work here?" she pressed. One of the locals, a man in blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt, slid his chair back and stood. For a moment Leena thought that he was going to interfer. But he walked right by. Moving casually, he slipped through one of the many doors and out of her sight.

"Now you just listen here-" started the bartender, but just then Pierce appeared, protesting in an annoyed way, being pushed from behind by the man in the blue jeans. The bartender, looking much younger now then he had moments before, turned to his sister.

"Jeremy, what was Chaze babbling about?" she asked quietly, calmly. Pierce paid Leena no attention, though she must have known that the Blitz warrior had caused all of the uproar. Her intense relfective eyes remained fixed on her brother.

"She came in here asking for you, and she knows…about, your former team," Jeremy told Pierce, his hands shaking as he raised them up to bind back his hair, which was the same beautiful color as his sister's.

"It's okay, Jeremy. Why don't you get you and Chaze a drink, and go watch the battle?" she suggested, and touched his shoulder in reassurance. The young man immediately moved to do as she'd said. Pierce motioned for Leena to follow her. She did, and the two walked to a table in the corner of the room, removed from all the others.

"Surprise seeing you here," Pierce commented, taking an unconcerned swig from her beer bottle.

"Yeah, well, I'm just full of surprises," the Blitz warrior commented dryly. "But truly, I need your help."

Impatiently Leena sat forward. "Where can I find Stoller and Layon?" Pierce raised a thin eyebrow and smiled, although it made her look more deadly rather than friendly. She took another long swallow before answering.

"You know that I'm no longer a member of the Backdraft," mumured the warrior as though talking to a child. Leena flushed. "I obviously don't keep ties with them."

"Stoller and Layon aren't either," she defended, although she could see now that it was a bad idea even to come here. Pierce didn't like her and wasn't likely to help even if she did know where they were.

"And it would still look as though I associated with the Backdraft." The marine-haired warrior leaned back. "Listen, kid. I'm trying to join the Commission. With my record, that isn't easy to do. I'm not going to screw up for you."

Leena's violet eyes flashed. "I'm not asking you to do this for me. Something's happened to Jack Sisqo, and I need their help to find him."

This was obviously not the kind of response that Pierce expected to recieve. Dropping her boots from the table and dropping the chair to all fours, the look of critism passed.

"Jack? What?" Panic swamped her, and she grabbed Leena by the front of her shirt. "What happened? Where is Sisqo?"


	4. Steam and Towels

A/N: The biggest thanks to Aqua-chan, who helped me write the second half of this chapter. For all of you who keep asking, I am not a Bit/Leena supporter *ducks the flying tomatoes* so there will be no pairing for them in this story, though you will see many others, even a love triangle or two. Please don't flame me, okay? 

* * *

"Jaime, could you put in this data into the computers?" Doc started as he walked into the control room, reading off of the huge stack of papers in his hands. Dark shadows betrayed the Blitz team owner's weariness, which he felt in his very bones. The base had been full of people since the day Jack Sisqo had turned up missing, and not one person had left. He could not turn them out. "I really need an analysis of the Lightning base security-" Glancing up, he realized he'd been talking to the walls. The command room was empty of all occupants. Steve sighed, and passed a hand through his hair. Jaime must have turned in early tonight. What with all the confusion, he couldn't blame him.

Taking but a moment to scribble his tactics coordinator, Doc thankfully dropped the file onto Jaime's seat and went in search of his own bed. 

* * *

In fact, Jaime was not asleep and dreaming. He didn't think that he could take another night of listening to his father Oscar snore like a freight train anyway. Feeling a desperate need to get away from the upheval that had recently fallen onto his home, he had taken to the sky with his faithful companion, the raynos. Although Jaime felt more at home in the hovercargo, directing the othes in their battles as opposed to actually participating, no Hemeros could resist the lure of flight. To be free of all restrictions, soaring high above the ground accomponied only by your Zoid.

Peirce had closeted herself in her room and refused to leave, spending all of her time pouring over the surveillance disks the Taskers had brought with them. An unspoken hostility lay just beneath the surface between Kelly and the air specialist Pierce. Jaime couldn't make heads or tails of it, but that was one problem he was determined not to pick apart.

Kelly and Kris kept to themselves mostly, though Jaime did not mind them much. The elder sister could offer help and converstation when it was needed, and Kris often brought him food when he was too caught up in his search to be moved. Since Leon's zoid was out of commission for an unknown extent of time, Naomi had canceled all of her battles and gone on 'vacation' as they morbidly refered to it. She did not seem to mind, and Jaime knew it was because she was able to be around Brad without being obvious. Or so she thought. A knowing grin spread across his face. She bunked with him, for Heaven's sake.

Stoller he couldn't find anywhere. It was as though the man had dissapeared off the face of Zi, which in truth wouldn't bother Jaime much, since he'd spent nearly sixteen straight hours at his computer searching for the warrior. Doc's arch nemesis, Doctor Layon, had arrived completely of his own accord. Leena had her hands full keeping her father and Layon from fighting. It would have been much harder but for the nine other individuals who thronged night and day in the compound.

A fleeting sensation, as though the kiss of a breeze, brushed Jaime's mind. The Wild Eagle wanted to take the controls. The marauding spirit was half in his mind, making Jaime's fingers itch to fly faster. Sighing like one whoes friend had said or done something annoying, he gave in, giving raynos a great burst of speed and broke the sound barrier. Suddenly it was no longer Jaime in control, but the spirit of the Wild Eagle*. He took the controls with a confident grin. Unlike his host, Wild Eagle liked nothing better than speed. Rapidly he adjusted the controls how he wanted them, and raced across the sky. A blip registered on his radar at the same moment the bright reflection of metal caught his attention in the west. He waited, but it did not sound again, and though he strained his eyes, Wild Eagle saw nothing. Shrugging, he passed it off as nothing and sent the raynos into a barrel roll.

*_Hehe, see Aqua-chan's ficcy, Spirit of the Wild Eagle! And no, this fic and hers aren't related._

* * *

Slamming the bedroom door as he went, Brad Hunter retreated into sancutary with a sigh of relief. A quick glance assured him that Naomi was out, and he finally had his room all to himself for the fist time since Sisqo's dissapearance. He hit one of the light switches, casting just enough of a glow so that he could manuever around the oddities that had appeared in his haven since Naomi had bunked up with him.

Flipping through his collection of music discs, Brad snagged one of his favorites, an older band by all accounts but still popular among zoid warriors. Dropping the mini-disc into the tray of the stereo, he had to wait only moments before the loud throbbing pulse began to pour out of huge bass speakers. His brown head bobbed to the heavy beat for a moment before he gripped the hem of his sweaty training shirt and peeling it off, over his head and away. Brad carelessly flung the garment away; the offending article of clothing landed amid a heap of dirty jeans and bedsheets where it would undoubtably lay for weeks until Jaime managed to sneek in and collect them.

However, Brad's shower couldn't wait. Stretching his sore muscles, Hunter kicked off heavy black boots and alternatedly hopped on one leg to peel off his rank gray socks. He undid the snap on his faded, low-riding jeans as he padded across the room. A sliding door postered with various Fox models was opened to reveal the bathroom he'd insisted upon when he'd officially joined the team. A mercany had to have his standards, naturally. While the rest of the team determinedly fought each morning for control of their single restroom, he made use of his own in quiet luxury. Heaven help him when Bit realized that Brad never battled for precious moments with the others but was inexpicitly clean ever day.

Hot water immediately sprayed down when he twisted the old-fashioned brass handle. Warm steam rose from a contrastingly modern tub. It was pure bliss for the warrior when he stepped under the flow, and he rested his head against the wall for several moments just enjoying the massage-like sensation. 

* * *

Naomi was sick of the cramped accomodations, and was beginning to heartily miss the quiet life she'd led on the Fluegel base. The Blitz Team's home had been so full with people lately, everywhere she went there was people: the main control room contained Kris and Jamie as permanents, with the rest of them flowing in and out without seising; Bit and Brad hid away in the weight room where they could be 'manly'; the hangar stored several faces, including Doc Toros, Kelly Tasker, and Harry Champ, who they had resorted to tying up in an effort to keep him away from Leena. But no matter where she went, Naomi couldn't seem to be able to escape. The masses were everywhere. Because of the need of privacy, the Red Comet warrior had finally decided to retreat to the one place left: Brad's shower.

Tossing the towel over her shoulder, Naomi started letting her hair down while she walked to the bathroom. An assortment of pins and clips fell to the floor in her wake. The light tendrils fell about her shoulders, and there was a huge kink in her hair where the ponytail had held it up until it dried from her last shower. She rubbed her fingers through the roots and over her scalp, shaking free her bangs and adding body to the beautiful hair. It was a shame she hated to wear it up all the time; she really did have gorgeous color and shine.

As Naomi walked into the shower room, the hot steam moistened her face with a refressing heat that cleared her senses. Immediatly, she wondered if somebody in there, but she couldn't hear any water running, and the floor was dry. It looked as though maybe somebody Brad had been in here earlier, but just forgot to close door and turn the lights off. Perhaps he'd just left as she was walking in.

"Hope all the hot water isn't gone," she muttered tiredly. With the lack of sleep she'd been getting lately, her irritability seemed to be shooting up through the roof. The feeling was mutual among her companions.

Naomi started to unclip the clasps on her jacket, staring at her own eyes in the full mirror that was slowly beginning to unfog. She was down to her red lacy bra when a shadow caught her eye in the mirror. A figure was moving around somewhere, and she finally was able to determine where it was coming from. An inner conflict took place inside her head. Should she run out the door as fast as she could, or see if someone had decided to use Brad's shower? In the end, the more adventureous side won the battle. She started to walk towards the towel closet, but she didn't have to get close before the the person came out on his own.

The vision took her breath away, and maybe even Brad's as well. He was just standing there, dripping wet, with a loose towel hanging around his waist. His hair was hanging down, dripping with tiny droplets of water, and though Naomi knew she probably shouldn't stare, she couldn't help but notice the gentle, sweet look he had on his face. Her eyes slid downward and admired his washboard abs.

"Uh, Naomi..." he pleaded, quite embarassed. His face was obviously begining to blush as he desperatly tried to keep the towel wrapped tightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just go...out...now..." she faded, waving a hand towards the door, but found herself unable to move. A pink blush began to rise in her own cheeks, but she still didn't seem to remember that she was standing there in a bra.

"Naomi, please?" He waited a few moments before finally concluding she wasn't going to head out. Gathering his courage, he stepped forward and tried to slide past her. When her arm brushed along his stomach, he sucked in his breath and jumped like he'd been burned. Naomi snapped out of her trance and crossed her arms across her chest. Without looking back, Brad hurried into his room, grabbed some jeans, and fled.


	5. Jack Attack?

The radar bliped twice. Wild Eagle frowned ands onsulted the instrument. He did not understand what was happening; even a zoid with a stealthing device should appear on Jaime's customized equipment. Something was definitely out there, but it was hiding, and using technology that it shouldn't have. Reluctantly abandoning his joy ride, Wild Eagle eased the controls forward and the nose of the raynos dipped.

Skimming a hundred feet about the ground, he circled the area, but to his frustration, he couldn't find anything there. Expelling an agrivated breath, he dipped down even further, dangerously close to the rocky ground but confident in his flying abilities. The radar bliped once, than again. He had a steady lock on his prey now, and Wild Eagle smiled, victorious. He wasn't sure why, but the whole thing had been making him feel uneasy.

No more than two hundred feet in front of him a familiar red and black lightning siax shimmered into veiw; with a yell he swerved out of the way, and the zoid dissapeared again. The Wild Eagle's shock had cause Jaime's heart to race, and the spirit could hear blood thundering in his ears. Something had tricked him; his machine had been locked onto something different entirely. He'd nearly collided with that out of place zoid.

Jack Sisqo's face popped up in the cockpit, frowning and worried. "Jaime?"

"No," replied Wild Eagle bluntly. When he shared Jaime's body he could see into the boy's memories as though they were his own. He knew that his host had spent days searching for this mercenary, and they'd all feared something terrible had happened to him. Concentrating, he recalled night after sleepless night that Jaime had spent in front of a glowing computer screen. A sort of protective anger rose up in Wild Eagle, and his lip curled; obviously they shouldn't have bothered.

"You must be Wild Eagle, then," Jack murmured in his husky voice, and something in his tone triggered the aerial pilot to lean forward imperceptably, not bothering to pay attention to where his zoid, now on auto-pilot, went. There was real fear in the warrior's eyes. "Listen, I need to talk to Jaime. Right now."

Beligerantly, Wild Eagle surveyed him, considering refusing. At that moment, another screen popped up on his left. He could hardly discern the man from the shadowy cavern of his cockpit. A chill ran down Wild Eagle's spine; the visuals had been blacked out. This piloted operated on his visor alone. He would have to be an incredible pilot if he could poerate without his visuals.

>

Nodding to Jack, Wild Eagle reached out, searching the mind of his host. He found Jaime, slumbering in the recesses of his own mind, unaware of anything that might happen to him should the Wild Eagle screw up. The thought made him shiver. Whispering a word of thanks, the spirit abandoned the body back to it's owner, and dissapeared. Jaime took over, feeling foggy.

Rubbing a hand quickly across his face, Jaime automatically slowed his zoid, and disorientedly stared at the mercenary on the screen in front of him. Glancing at his visuals quickly, he saw that the raynos was on auto-pilot, making low circles around the lightning siax. A flare of anger rose up in his chest. His stormy gray eyes flickered briefly to the screen on his left, but he didn't recognize the dark man.

"What's going on, Jack?" he demanded. The stranger blinked out. Very faintly Jaime heard an unfamiliar voice speaking in Jack's cockpit. A spasm of pain crossed his face, and he angrily cut the visual.

"I'm sorry, Jaime," Jack muttered in a low voice, and Jaime looked up just in time to see a lightning siax, propelled by it's incredible speed, land with a sickening crunch on the rayno's midsection. Jack's face dissapeared, and the zoids crumpled to the ground, the siax unharmed. Jaime's head slammed into his restrainer, and his vision blacked out as his cameras died. 

* * *

"Hey Dad, have you seen Jaime?" Leena asked brightly, sitting down at the table beside Bit, who was shoveling food into his mouth as fast as humanly possible. Her white overalls were helplessly smudged with grease, and there was a streak of dust across her nose, but the young Toros woman could not have been happier, in light of the circumstances. She had not known how much she'd tinkering with an engine or replacing a power component with her brother, but the sparkle in her eye gave away just how much she was enjoying having him around.

"No, he's probably still asleep. I think that this is really tiring him out." Leon cast his father a dirty look, and the Doc quickly amended his statement. "It's wearing everyone out. He'd already turned in when I went to bed last night." Satisfied, his offspring focused on their meal, tasty but not as good as what Jaime made.

"He wasn't in the bedroom when I got up this morning," Oscar commented, coming to the table to collect the dirty plates. Kelly was washing in the back, silent except for the clinking of glasses. Steve frowned but thanked his friend for the information. Layon wasted no time in pouncing on another thing to tease his old enemy about.

"Can't even keep track of your team, eh Toros?" Layon prodded, one eyebrow raised. The Doc's face darkened, and Leena began to wolf her sausages in case she had to prevent an incident. Leon signaled to Bit that it was time to make their exit.

"Good grub, Mr. Hermeros," Bit tossed over his shoulder as they left the cafeteria. Oscar smiled and saluted with his spatula in acknowledgement. Before the two could start yelling at one another, the missing Tasker sister interupted.

"Doctor Toros, there's a video message for you on the main screen, but it's password protected," Kris said in confusion, popping her head into room, nibbling on a peice of toast. Taking a deep breath, Steve dismissed Layon and stood. The other doctor winked at Leena, and went to the kitchen to help Kelly dry the dishes.

A black snake twisted into a complicated celtic knot filled the screen in the command room. Steve let out a slow breath.

"He wouldn't," he whispered to himself, easing down into the seat, even though he knew that he would. He typed a single word on the keyboard: serpent.

Kris screamed as a still picture of Jack and Jaime filled the screen. They were both bound, unconsious, to high backed chairs. A disembodied male voice laughed at them.

"Surprise, brother." Kris looked at the older man with wide, questioning eyes. Toros clutched the arms of his chair, face pale white. He avoided looking at the Tasker woman before him. But it was Leena who answered Kris's unasked question. Standing in the doorway, her eyes were glued to the screen. She'd been drawn to the room when she heard the voice of-

"Uncle Charlemagne?" 


	6. Charlemagne Toros

Charlemagne Toros combed his long fingers through his thick shoulder-length brown hair. The black serpent on his muscular bicep rippled liquidly. He pulled the strands back away from his face and bound it up with an old-fashioned leather thong. His dual colored blue and brown eyes roamed back and forth across the high-defenition computer screen on the cluttered desk in front of him. The file that he read was the Zoid Battle Commission profile for Jaime Daniel Hermeros. Quiet new-age music was the only thing to break the silence as he filed away information on his captive. 

* * *

Jaime groaned loudly, and Jack stirred. Putting aside the paper-bound book Charlemagne had left for him, he scooted to the edge of his bed and settled their, cross-legged. He'd been waiting for the Blitz warrior to awaken for atleast two hours already. Resting his chin on his thumbs, he patiently waited again. Soon angry muttering could be heard from across the hall as Jaime gingerly regained his composure and sat up, cradling his head.

"How do you feel, kid?" Jack called, moving his twined fingers just enough to speak. The boy's dark head whipped around, elicting another pained groan from him as his head throbbed. The mercenary winced sympathetically.

"What's going on, Jack?" Jaime demaned angrily, glowering at him with a mixture betrayal and suspicion closing his face. Sisqo sighed. His black eyes bored into Jaime's, and even from the distance separating them he could feel the intensity of his stare.

"We've become slaves." 

* * *

Kelly took a deep breath before knocking on Pierce's door. She felt queasy, having seen Jack look so helpless in that picture. There was giddiness as well, happinss that he was still alive. Somewhere in the back of her mind was relief that he had not abandoned her. Briefly she touched the white-gold chain hidden beneath her green top, fingering the ring that hung from it.

"Go away, I don't want any!" Pierce called to her in irritation from the opposite side of the door. Kelly ground her teeth together, and knocked again. If she was like this all the time, it was no wonder that things hadn't worked out between her and Jack.

"_What?_" The marine haired warrior angrily opened the door and glared at her visitor. She look momentarily surprised to see Kelly-then her face darkened with unmasked dislike. There was just as much hostility on the Tasker sister's face.

"Doctor Toros sent me to tell you that we know who took Jack, and that Jaime's been kidnapped, too." She bit out, and turned to leave. Kelly regretted volunteering to tell Pierce what had happened while she hid away in her room.

"Wait, I'm sorry," Pierce called out hurriedly, running to catch up and grabbing Kelly by the arm. Her bare feet padded on the tile floor, and she hurriedly brushed her neglected hair back away from her face. Seeing the older woman's distress, Kelly relented. The dislike between them had nothing to do with zoid battles, and everything to do with a mercenary that they both loved.

"Someone named Carliman, or something like that anyway-" she started to explain, but took a step back in surprise, noticing the sudden edginess to take hold of her rival.

"Charlemagne..." the name was just a breath. Kelly waited for more, but nothing was forth coming.

"Yeah, that's it. Charlemagne. He sent Doctor Toros a picture, of Jack and Jaime. They were tied up, but the Blitz team thinks their alive." Instead of looking relieved, as Kelly might have expected, Pierce looked as though she was going to be sick. Leaning back against the wall, the woman smiled at Kelly; but it was a twisted, grim smile. A heavy forboding settled in the Tasker's stomach.

"No, he wouldn't kill them. If Charlemagne wanted them dead, he wouldn't have gone to so much work as to take them. But don't ask me why he wants them. I'm sure that the Doc would be pleased to inform you." 

* * *

"Who is this guy?" Kris demanded, and Bit seconded her defiantly. Oscar was sprawled on the circular couch, his head tilted back, eyes vacantly staring at the ceiling. It didn't appear as though he was aware of what was going on aroud him. Leena choose to pretend she didn't know that there were eleven other emotion unbalanced people in the room with her, and was busy trying to trace Charlemagne's message. There was little success to be had, for the file was already eating itself, a program compliments of her uncle.

"I don't care who he was, I just want to know why he took Jaime!" Brad burst out with unusual anger. He did not seem to notice that he was bare-chested and wet. Naomi set a gentle hand on his shoulder, and his shoulders drooped in defeat. Releasing Steve from his blue gaze, Brad crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall.

"You wanna know why, Brad?" The Doc burst out. He'd sat unspeaking in the revolving chair, insults and questions hitting him from all sides. Now, everyone was deadly quiet as he got to his feet. He was not a small man, and was instantly taller than all of them. Immediately ashamed of their behavior, even Layon bowed his head to avoid Toros's gaze. Only Leon stood tall and silent beside his father.

"I'll tell you why Charlemagne would kidnap Jack and Jaime," Doc continued, and Brad flinched. Naomi moved closer to him, their previous encounter forgotten in face of this new complication. Unnoticed, Stoller sidled into the room, looking grim and determined.

"He wants to bring around a whole new Zoids era." The elephander pilot spoke up, and even Oscar was startled from his grief-stricken trance.

"You thought the Backdraft was horrible." Stoller snicker derisively. "Charlemange could crush you like a bug. Even you, Bit."

The warrior looked startled. Everyone else looked terrified. 


	7. Cell-sitting and Harry Champ

* * *

"I had orders to bring you in."

"You crippled my zoid!"

"And saved your life in the process!"

"But my raynos!"

"Damn it, Jaime! I didn't want to see you dead. You wouldn't have been able to escape Charlemagne. He would have taken a chunk out of my ass, and blown you out of the sky. There was no way that I was gonna ignore Charlemagne Toros with those sort of consequences." Sisqo explained in exasperation. He understood that the younger Blitz warrior was distressed-had it been his siax, he would have been furious-but understanding could only stretch so far.

"So, by kidnapping us, what does Charlemagne want to accomplish?" Jaime wanted to know. He could vaugely remember the Doc's silent, long haired brother from when Oscar had first introduced him to the newly formed Blitz team. It was hard for him to connect him with his unseen captor. Jack sighed. Raising his rear off the bed, the warrior pulled a wallet from his back pocket.By flipping it open he revealed the smiling face of his teammate and fiancee. Kelly's face was lit with happiness, and she held her hand near her cheek, showing off a diamond ring.

"Charlemagne wants to bring about a new Order. He wants to destroy the Commission-and it's officials. The Backdraft would be free to join him, but I doubt he would be leniant to those who resisted. Alot of innocent people will die if he comes to power." Jack sighed.

"It would be the Backdraft all over again, with three times the power, funds and machinery. He's a genius, Jaime, and he's got friends in high places. Palta is one of his closest officials. The best pilots on Zi are interested in working for him." He gave a derisive sort of snort. "Hell, he's even got S-Class Commission warriors sitting at his right hand.

"But no one wants to openly defy the Backdraft, let alone the ZBC. Charlemagne's supporters need some sort of display of his power. And that's where we come in, I'm guessing. We'll have to help him, with whatever it is he's got up his sleeve."

Jaime looked stunned. But he was a quick thinker, and a thought suddenly occured to him. It made sense, admist all this confusion.

"You worked for him, didn't you?" he blurted. Jack's headpierce bobbed as he nodded without shame.

"I'm a mercenary, Hemeros. I'll work for anyone with the cash, and the luck to afford me." Jack coughed. "You'd be surprised by the number of people you know that have worked for him. Pierce and Stoller were both interested in his payment plan when I joined up, and even Doc Toros has helped him."

"I can't believe you'd say something like that! You don't know the Doc!" Jaime started to protest immediately. His reaction was more loyalty than honest disbelief, however. It was his job to manage the finances for the team. he knew that they could not afford all of the 'toys' that Doc bought. Somehow they always managed to squeak by though, and everytime he confronted Steve about it, the Doc just waved him away.

"Doc...helped him do this?" Jaime swallowed. Jack flinched.

"Don't get excited, Hermeros," he reassured. "I'm certain that he would never put you in any danger. All I know is that I've seen him with Charlemagne, and money's changed hands more than once."

Feeling more betrayed now than he ever had when he saw Jack on the screen in the cockpit of his zoid. Doc was like a second father to him; how could he support a monster like Charlemagne Toros? 

* * *

"Never fear, the king is here!" Harry Champ called magnificently, spreading his arms and banging his elbows against Sebastin and Benjamin. He was met with unimpressed silence. Kelly and Kris glanced up, surprised and obviously thinking he was disturbed, but none of the others acknowledged his presence.

"...no one can find...except his closest officials," Stoller was saying. Bit looked as though he was dying to say something heroic and impulsive, but was restraining himself with great effort. The Doc didn't look anything like his normal, slightly eccentric self.

"...a way to contact him. Never thought he'd go so far," Doc murmured, almost to himself. Intrigued, Harry moved closer to the ring of people in the sunken down seating area. No one cared in the least. 

"How do we get my son back?" Oscar sound angry and frightened. Leena touched his hand in a motion of comfort. Harry didn't understand why she was acting so out of character. He spoke up again.

"Leena, my love, what's going on?" The girl jerked and looked up, just noticing his presence. Now that she was facing him, Harry could see the pink splotches on her skin, and could tell she'd been crying. He braced himself for the stream of insults that were certain to follow.

"To his complete surprise, and that of everyone in the room, a light of happiness brightened Leena's eyes, and she jumped to her feet. Racing to him, she threw her arms around the flabbergasted Harry. It was a dream come true for him, and he hugged her close, hoping she'd never leave.

Clearing his throat, Brad grinned and gave Naomi's arm a gentle squeeze.

"Someone's kidnapped Jaime and Jack Sisqo," Bit said in answer to Harry's question, since Leena did not seem compelled to answer.

"Oh dear," mutter Benjamin.

"Not good, not good at all," Sebastin agreed. Harry stared at his 'rival' with wide green eyes. Stoller shook his head and continued as though nothing had happened.

"The best way to get find out where Charlemagne is would be to challange S-Class warriors to unsanctioned battles, cripple them, and get the info you need." The smile on his face was desidedly evil. 

* * *

A/N: Hey, I know this is sort of short, but you know how much I love cliff hangers. ^_^ But enough of that...Review, and let me know what you like, what you hate, and what just needs to be adjusted. No story works without outside influences. Constructive critism only, though, please. I am not really that much of a Harry/Leena fan, but I don't want her to be with Bit, and I don't want to poor girl to be all alone. Anyone have suggestions for who Bit Cloud she be with? 


	8. Rheanna Sariyah

Stigma took a perverse sort of pleasure in tracking down potential New Order supporters. Watching him, Brad was strangely reminded of a cougar, slinking soundlessly along a stone ledge, poised to leap for the kill. The thought made him shiver. It was a good thing he was on their side.

Using Jaime's computer, Stoller searched file after file, unblinking and without rest, until one caught his attention.

"This woman. I've seen her at all of Charlemagne's circuit parties," he announced triumphantly, and brought up more on her. The warrior was a member of the Broken Glass, an S-Class team that was continuously punished for unnecessary force and cruelty. Brad shuddered, but did not respond when Naomi questioned his reaction-only drew her closer to him.

"Bit, Brad, Kelly and Oscar. I want you four with me," Stigma said over his shoulder as he typed a few commands, brining up the profiles for all of the members of Broken Glass.

"If Kelly goes, I go with her," Kris piped up loyally, meeting Stoller's eyes calmly. He nodded, not really caring, and took the coffee that she offered.

"What am I doing?" the Hemeros pilot questioned as he walked into the command room, wiping his hands on a towel. There was a look in his eyes that spoke of his need to help recover his son. Steve looked away from his old friend, ashamed that his blood relation had caused so much pain.

"Your going to be our air support. We're going to investigate the Broken Glass team. Rheanna Sariyah in particular." He showed them all her picture; her hair was long and pure white, with dark sapphire eyes. Her lips, a dark rosy red that contrasted her pale complexion, curved upward in a smirk that ruined her stunning beauty.

"And I'm...?" Brad let the question hang, raising an eyebrow to gaze curiously at the seasoned soldier who'd taken charge.

"You and Bit will guard our exit. The Taskers and myself..." a strange gleam appeared in Stoller's eye. Leena sidled closer to Layon, and he took her hand. Harry was oblivious to it all, stretched face down on the couch and fast asleep.

"We will pay our friends a short visit." 

* * *

Blowing air through his lips, Stoller ran a hand through his hair in frustration. The base was empty. He itched to get back at Charlemagne for the humiliation the young one had dealt him, and he knew that Rheanna was much closer to him than he'd let on. If he could get to her, he would have Toros in the palm of his hand. Disappointment washed over him as he reached up to touch his throat mic.

Two pairs of hands grabbed his arms, throwing his backwards; caught off guard he tumbled to the floor. The air rushed from his lungs, leaving the warrior dizzy and confused. His delayed reaction gave his attackers time to restrain him, and they took full advantage of it. Stigma was flipped roughly onto his stomach and cuffed. When he was hauled up onto his feet, Stigma was given a chance to gather his wits and regain his breath.

"Haven't see you in awhile, Stoller," the man on his left commented. Jerking his head around at the familiar voice, Stigma recognized the redheaded mercenary as one of his fellow recruits. They'd been friends until the day he'd been promoted among the ranks of the Backdraft and Marduk was left behind.

"It was nice, wasn't it?" he returned pleasantly, and received a blow to the head for his trouble.

"Cheeky ol' bastard," grumbled the man on his right; Stoller didn't know him. Marduk nodded in agreement.

"Mistress!" The dark-haired stranger released Stoller's arm and pounded on the door they'd ambushed him outside of. After a few moments, a slight silver-haired young woman in greasy cutoffs and an over-sized T-shirt opened the door. Her intensely dark royal blue eyes took in the situation with a glance - the smile on her face indicated she found something amusing. Recognizing her, Stigma glared with hate.

Unconcerned, the woman - barely out of her youth - reached out a hand and touched his cheek. A searing pain, like a serrated knife being twisted viciously inside his skull buckled his knees. Rheanna cupped his face with her other hand so that the contact was not broken; Stoller screamed. There were needles being stabbed into his joints, someone was closing their hands around his throat and cutting off his air, his lungs ached for air-

The pain was gone as suddenly as it started, leaving behind shaking limbs and wet cheeks. He felt worse than he ever had before. At her wave, Marduk and his companion dumped their burden unceremoniously inside her room, and then took up a guarding position outside the door. He didn't have the strength or ambition to move, and breathed heavily on the coolness of the tile floor.

"You have great potential for success, Mr. Stoller," said the night-eyed creature - for Stigma had seized to think of her as human - commented. She perched carelessly on the edge of a chair, observing him with interest. "Yet you throw it all away to rescue a mercenary and a worthless pilot that you do not even know.

"Moreover, you risk your life to get back at Charlie through me. I am flattered, of course, but you underestimate him. He would find a way around you, to get me back." Her voice was flighty and pleasant, like a teenager. For some reason it chilled him to the bone. "Did you know that I cannot read his thoughts, even when I try? It is the most pleasant feeling in the world."

Standing, she stepped over his outstretched arm and spoke to Marduk. "He has a pair of female accomplices in the building, and a male in the skies. The two in land units are good; send the very best. Find them all, and lock them up." The two men nodded and left. Shuddering, Stoller tried to lever himself up, warn his companions, but there was no energy left in his limp body. His eyes rolled back in his head as he sank into blessed unconsciousness. 

* * *

_A/N: Been awhile, huh? Sorry, ya'll, I just haven't had any inspiration for this ficlet up until now. Hope it don't disappoint you. I've been really busy with my Lord of the Rings fanficlets. If any of you are fans, please check them out! Much thanks to my great beta-reader, Lady Harlequin! Go read her work while you're at it. Let me know what you think!_


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